ms spock
VIP Member
So my regular readers will know I was punched in the face and received a concussion at one of my last schools. It was serious and there are still issues ongoing from that. I thought I was better but I am not.
I started a contract at another school. My gut said no, but it is work, but my gut said no. My gut was totally right. That has not gone well. Given classes that other teachers refuse to treat and I am left on my own with a whole class that usually have two people in them to manage. Other teachers and teacher's aides expressed a lot of concern.
The Head of Department is known for her bullying and for not being a highly skilled manager. So I am not special or anything like that - just naive and a newly trained teacher. Really eager to work. So a reasonable target from her point of view. Some of the bullying was just so bizarre. Some of it was dumb, and some of it was a sign of not a well mind.
We had a Four Corners show last week that shows that 10 year old children are being put in adult jails because they overflowing in juvenile detention centres. Yeah we have those kids in our classes in mainstream. So much trauma in the classroom. So much violence, but you are not allowed to record the violence because that ruins the statistics and bad statistics can really slow down your fast track on the promotion upwards. Damn it just don't report any reality in your daily reports - just keep ticking those boxes re literacy and numeracy.
I was attacked with threatening and intimidating behaviours. I actually handled it quite well. It was a terrible day. I did end up crying a lot that day. I have to say whilst I handled the situation really well. I was triggered though. But I kept going back because I thought things could be worked out.
But now I am off on sick leave, because it is actually dangerous.
The last day I was at the school was very distressing because the bullying woman (Head of Department) asked me who were the four most difficult students of the boys and said that she would put them in buddy classes, so I was not as stressed about teaching that class. I actually believed she was going to help me which was silly given what she had previously done. Then all those boys turned up. We had a room change with behaviourally challenged young people that is almost the kiss of death. KK had attempted to attack me and had behaved in a threatening and intimidating way the previous week, charging at me which is another story. I didn't think that I would be left alone with him after that happened. She walked in the room laughed at me, her phone rang and she went out and away. It was a sucky situation to be in.
So I was left with a powder keg of a situation. It was really stressful. Anyway I am going to put in a complaint about how I was treated at this school and how I was treated at the last school. Last school - punched in face - rang office - no assistance or response. Threatened and intimidated at this school requested help and was attacked for an out of context comment.
So I can work. I am not going to work in these types of educational settings, which means I won't be teaching. The doctor I saw last night was a really old and wise gesyer he told me he treats lots of teachers and he instructed me to quit. The fabulous teacher who sat next to me in the staff room advised me to quit. After 30 years she is getting out because of what is going on. She saved my arse on Tuesday. She came in and ran my class for me and defused the situation. Two other teachers insisted that I quit and put in complaints. A couple of other teacher friends of mine I have known for 30 years have quit and rang and did an intervention over the phone on Sunday. They kept me on the phone challenging me to see reality. I was annoyed at them at the time, but then it hit me they are right.
I did a lot of training to get to this point but hey I now know I can manage a workplace/places. I am a kick arse teacher. I did some great work.
I did let myself down when the bullying woman told me to teach Year 8 students at a Grade 8 level who are at a Grade 2 or 4 level I should have ignored her and gotten the sack or quit. I wasn't centred in my ethics. I wasn't experienced enough to read the signs. It was not to my highest ethical standard. I did what I was instructed by the boss whose office literally runs off my classroom. I would have ignored her if I had not had her right down my neck.
My psychiatrist said I could have ignored her and gotten the sack, and stood up for my ethics. I hadn't thought about that. I did let those kids down and I feel bad about that. But I was new and intimidated. I won't make that mistake again. I will find my own niche. I did so well with this situation.
And by the time I am finished with them neither of these schools will forget me. I am going to lawyer up and I am going to fight so this doesn't happen to anyone else.
So it has been a pretty crappy time of it. I am still preparing lessons, and dropping off resources at 5.30am in the morning so the kids are not disadvantaged, but I need to see legal advice before I take my next steps.
I have done really well. I managed multiple difficult situations continuously - and I walked away before I got punched in the face.
My psychiatrist said to trust my gut and go with that. Well there is no school I think is good enough to teach at. So I really see why 50% of trained teachers in the first 5 years.
The alternative school does not pay award wages so my psychiatrist said give them a miss, and my gut says a big no, anyway. And I am going with my gut. Learning at 49 how to be present enough to listen to my own gut. I am doing well. Though life is tough right now.
The Australian Education system is in severe crisis - if I go further out to lower socio economic schools there are the same problems with less resources.
Anyway an update from - growing and changing - getting my arse kicked and getting right back in there, now adding some wisdom to learn when to walk away.
When I was a child there was no point in standing up for myself as there was no justice. The systems are not perfect and I may not get justice but I have an adequate chance now. I am going to do it.
I started a contract at another school. My gut said no, but it is work, but my gut said no. My gut was totally right. That has not gone well. Given classes that other teachers refuse to treat and I am left on my own with a whole class that usually have two people in them to manage. Other teachers and teacher's aides expressed a lot of concern.
The Head of Department is known for her bullying and for not being a highly skilled manager. So I am not special or anything like that - just naive and a newly trained teacher. Really eager to work. So a reasonable target from her point of view. Some of the bullying was just so bizarre. Some of it was dumb, and some of it was a sign of not a well mind.
We had a Four Corners show last week that shows that 10 year old children are being put in adult jails because they overflowing in juvenile detention centres. Yeah we have those kids in our classes in mainstream. So much trauma in the classroom. So much violence, but you are not allowed to record the violence because that ruins the statistics and bad statistics can really slow down your fast track on the promotion upwards. Damn it just don't report any reality in your daily reports - just keep ticking those boxes re literacy and numeracy.
I was attacked with threatening and intimidating behaviours. I actually handled it quite well. It was a terrible day. I did end up crying a lot that day. I have to say whilst I handled the situation really well. I was triggered though. But I kept going back because I thought things could be worked out.
But now I am off on sick leave, because it is actually dangerous.
The last day I was at the school was very distressing because the bullying woman (Head of Department) asked me who were the four most difficult students of the boys and said that she would put them in buddy classes, so I was not as stressed about teaching that class. I actually believed she was going to help me which was silly given what she had previously done. Then all those boys turned up. We had a room change with behaviourally challenged young people that is almost the kiss of death. KK had attempted to attack me and had behaved in a threatening and intimidating way the previous week, charging at me which is another story. I didn't think that I would be left alone with him after that happened. She walked in the room laughed at me, her phone rang and she went out and away. It was a sucky situation to be in.
So I was left with a powder keg of a situation. It was really stressful. Anyway I am going to put in a complaint about how I was treated at this school and how I was treated at the last school. Last school - punched in face - rang office - no assistance or response. Threatened and intimidated at this school requested help and was attacked for an out of context comment.
So I can work. I am not going to work in these types of educational settings, which means I won't be teaching. The doctor I saw last night was a really old and wise gesyer he told me he treats lots of teachers and he instructed me to quit. The fabulous teacher who sat next to me in the staff room advised me to quit. After 30 years she is getting out because of what is going on. She saved my arse on Tuesday. She came in and ran my class for me and defused the situation. Two other teachers insisted that I quit and put in complaints. A couple of other teacher friends of mine I have known for 30 years have quit and rang and did an intervention over the phone on Sunday. They kept me on the phone challenging me to see reality. I was annoyed at them at the time, but then it hit me they are right.
I did a lot of training to get to this point but hey I now know I can manage a workplace/places. I am a kick arse teacher. I did some great work.
I did let myself down when the bullying woman told me to teach Year 8 students at a Grade 8 level who are at a Grade 2 or 4 level I should have ignored her and gotten the sack or quit. I wasn't centred in my ethics. I wasn't experienced enough to read the signs. It was not to my highest ethical standard. I did what I was instructed by the boss whose office literally runs off my classroom. I would have ignored her if I had not had her right down my neck.
My psychiatrist said I could have ignored her and gotten the sack, and stood up for my ethics. I hadn't thought about that. I did let those kids down and I feel bad about that. But I was new and intimidated. I won't make that mistake again. I will find my own niche. I did so well with this situation.
And by the time I am finished with them neither of these schools will forget me. I am going to lawyer up and I am going to fight so this doesn't happen to anyone else.
So it has been a pretty crappy time of it. I am still preparing lessons, and dropping off resources at 5.30am in the morning so the kids are not disadvantaged, but I need to see legal advice before I take my next steps.
I have done really well. I managed multiple difficult situations continuously - and I walked away before I got punched in the face.
My psychiatrist said to trust my gut and go with that. Well there is no school I think is good enough to teach at. So I really see why 50% of trained teachers in the first 5 years.
The alternative school does not pay award wages so my psychiatrist said give them a miss, and my gut says a big no, anyway. And I am going with my gut. Learning at 49 how to be present enough to listen to my own gut. I am doing well. Though life is tough right now.
The Australian Education system is in severe crisis - if I go further out to lower socio economic schools there are the same problems with less resources.
Anyway an update from - growing and changing - getting my arse kicked and getting right back in there, now adding some wisdom to learn when to walk away.
When I was a child there was no point in standing up for myself as there was no justice. The systems are not perfect and I may not get justice but I have an adequate chance now. I am going to do it.
